


Bucket List

by Ididntsignupforthisshit (myhamartia)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Recreational Drug Use, VLD Lunar Ladies Exchange 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-07 11:36:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12232035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myhamartia/pseuds/Ididntsignupforthisshit
Summary: The crew discus bucket lists on the beach under the moonlight.





	Bucket List

Lotor brushed his hair from his face, tucking the strand behind his ear; Acxa watched the movement closely. Her pen tapped against her chin distractedly.

Lotor hummed, flipped the page of his textbook and sighed dejectedly. He tore his eyes away from the book and looked up, glancing around the four girls in the dorm room. He met Acxa’s eyes with an eyebrow lifted in question.

Acxa shook her head and went back to her German textbook.

She periodically glanced over to Lotor and watched as he waged the constant battle concerning his hair. Every time he would tuck it behind one ear, it seemed four more strands were freed to tickle his nose. He would crinkle his nose, wiggle it a bit and then run a hand through his hair, fighting it out of his face.

Acxa rolled her eyes at him. He had a hair tie on his wrist. He could solve this problem in seconds if he so wished.

But  _ no _ . Of course not. It was all about rebellion for Lotor.

It was about Lotor’s micromanaging parents, the freedom of college that told Lotor he could do whatever the fuck he wanted. Including growing his hair out.

He’d been at it for a few years, now. It was well past to his shoulderblades - an improvement on the short style his mother always had him keep. And that was good, it was a healthy release and it was certainly tamer than other methods he could have gone with.

So he grew his hair. He was a regular at a local hairdresser to keep up the white color of his hair and to get it trimmed as needed. It was an improvement by far, Acxa thought. The long hair suited him.

And that was all well and good.

Rather, it would be -  _ if he would take care of it properly _ .

Lotor Oubea was one to care about his appearance. This was a fact you could tell at first glance. He was one with a style about him. Well, maybe he just wore things well, but that wasn’t the point here. The point was: Lotor takes care of himself stylistically in all ways but with his hair. That was an area that he usually left to one of their friends, Ezor.

Ezor’s skill was very apparent in the way she regularly dressed her own hair on a day to day basis. She was the only one in their collective friend group that was allowed to play with Lotor’s hair. She had a soft touch Acxa associated with her mother, able to sort through Lotor’s mess of hair without causing so much as a wince of pain.

With any and all of his presentable looks save the occasional “messy bun”, Lotor had Ezor to thank for them.

Lotor  _ had  _ to be taught the ways of hair care. There was no way around it. They were graduating college soon, and Lotor wasn’t going to have Ezor’s gentle hands to comb and style his hair forever.

But every time Acxa would suggest something to him, or mention the sore concerns she had, he would brush her off. She offered to show him a few tricks she started out with and he would blanche, his expression screaming  _ War Flashbacks _ . He would ultimately refuse in some roundabout way, giving a classy excuse that made sense, but never failed to give Acxa the distinct impression that he still hadn’t let go of the Sophomore Incident.

That, being the first (and only) time Acxa ever convinced Lotor to let her get her hands in his hair. His hair reached just below his shoulders, and was an ashy-blonde color, then. A few drinks in and a loose-tongued “ _ I want to play with your hair _ ,” had Lotor nestled comfortably between Acxa’s thighs.

Everything was good and right in the world for all of twenty seconds. Lotor put on a brave face for a few minutes, but then he practically yelled for Acxa to stop before launching himself across the room, head in his hands, whining about how Acxa tried to pull out all his hair and give him - gasp, God forbid -  _ bald spots _ .

So Acxa was banned from ever touching Lotor’s Luscious Locks ever again, ever.

It wasn’t like she was bitter about it. (She was, actually.) Definitely wasn’t hung up on the fact that her drunken mistake practically messed up any chance she ever had of styling that amazing head of hair.

Insert annoying smiley face here.

The whole debacle left her very frustrated.

Acxa was never very handy. With anyone. Physical affection was very rarely her thing, and it wasn’t even a thought if it concerned a person outside of their friend circle.

So it was odd, her constantly wanting to fix Lotor’s hair for him. Maybe it was because it was so soft, or the irritation she held for him when he complained about his hair being unsightly but never lifted a finger to fix the problem.

Whatever it was, it made her want to have Narti hold him down while Acxa vigorously brushed through the knots in his hair.

Which actually, all in all, wasn’t entirely a bad idea.

She was yanked out of her introspection by Ezor flipping her book shut rather loudly.

“Alright everybody,” she sighed. “ _ Time for pre-exam questions. _ ”

The breeze that came off of the water was cooling, the taste of salt on their tongues mingling with the taste of cheap thrills and simple joys.

“Did any of you have a bucket list?” Lotor asked. Smoke trailed out of his nose as he spoke. His eyes were red-rimmed and dry as he looked off to the side, over the waves rippling peacefully across the shore.

“I didn’t,” Acxa admitted. “I don’t see the use.”

“The  _ use? _ Whoa. Acxa,” Ezor flipped up from her towel, flinging granules of sand in the air from her hair. “Bucket lists are fantastic! They make sure you really get the full college experience.”

“Sounds like a cheap excuse to make a fool of yourself.”

“And that seems to be a fad these days,” Lotor sighed. “Narti, if I could.” Narti held her hand up, slowly, as not to accidentally burn anyone. Lotor took the joint carefully from her long, delicate fingers.

They were in an odd little arrangement, with Lotor sprawled over Acxa’s lap, and Narti lying with her back heavily on Lotor’s knees. Ezor was the only one separated from the group (save Zethrid, who chose to stay behind for this trip, purely out of her fierce hatred for all things sand), and she had been booted from their tangle earlier because of the debacle resulting from her attempt to connect two roasting sticks together via marshmallows… just so she wouldn’t have to get up to roast another marshmallow for a s’more.

“Narti, did you have a bucket list?” Acxa asked curiously, hoping to have someone who was in the same boat she was in.

“A small one,” Narti said quietly, “it’s been completed.”

Acxa sighed and Ezor’s eyes gleamed. She laid back down and propped her chin up on her knuckles.

“ _ Tell me more _ ,” she said, putting all of her excitement into her voice.

“Not a chance,” Narti said, reaching over to flick sand in Ezore’s direction. She missed by a long shot, sending little grains of sand into the fire.

Ezor deflated, groaning as she dropped her head to the the ground. “ _ Fine _ ,” she moaned.

Lotor shifted, sticking the joint between his teeth so he could untuck his hair from under his head. He laid his head back down on Acxa’s thighs and sighed. “If you had to outline a bucket list, Acxa, what would it feature?”

She hesitated, thinking. “I suppose I would list perfect scores.”

“Doesn’t count,” Ezor told her. “You’re a genius. It was a breeze.”

“It wasn’t,” Acxa told her, taking the joint from Lotor. She inhaled deeply and let her eyes slip shut. “I don’t know of anything else. Give me examples.”

“Going rock climbing,” Narti muttered, first.

“Going on a roadtrip with your friends!” Ezor added, smiling.

“I have done both of those. They don’t count,” Acxa said, frowning.

“Learning how to surf,” Lotor suggested, looking up to her.

She considered it for a second before shaking her head.

“Hopeless!” Ezor huffed, dropping her head again.

“Oh, hush, you,” Lotor reprimanded, waving a hand at her.

Acxa’s hand dropped to Lotor’s head, her nails scratching gently at his scalp.

“You don’t have to have a bucket list, Acxa,” Narti told her, holding up her hand. “Can I?” The joint was passed and Acxa’s fingers combed through Lotor’s hair. “Most people put a ‘physical change’ on their lists,” Narti continued after a moment.

Acxa hummed. “How so?”

“Such as changing their hair, or getting a tattoo.”

Ezor poked her head back up. “Hey! You’ve done both of those,” she grinned.

“I have,” she mused. A bundle of peacock feathers coming up her ribcage certainly counted. “Do you remember when we all changed our hair in sophomore year?” she asked no one in particular.

“Do I,” Narti said, a slight smile on her mouth. “You made me shave half my head.”

“ _ It was so pretty though! _ ” Ezor protested. “And that was great. We should totally do that again before graduation.”

“I vote we shave Lotor’s head this time,” Acxa muttered, fingers still combing.

Lotor jolted. “ _ Excuse me!? _ Why?”

“Because you never take care of your hair!” Acxa told him. “Knots everywhere. Never brushed. It’s a  _ mess. _ ”

Lotor deflated. “My hair is perfectly  _ fine _ .”

“That’s it. There’s my bucket list. The only thing on it, ” Acxa said suddenly, her knuckle getting snagged on a knot in Lotor’s hair. He yelped slightly and tried to pull away. “Either I get you to take care of your hair, or I am shaving it off.”

“I don’t think that counts,” Ezor muttered, her face scrunched up in thought.

“It does, now,” Acxa said.

Lotor made a miserable little sound and rolled over, surrendering, resigned to his fate.

“You shouldn’t have mentioned it!” Ezor grinned cheekily.

Lotor scowled, much resembling a child. “I am prepared to offer you a deal,” he said, turning back over so he could look her in the eyes. “You may help me with my hair-.”

_ “And teach you how to do it yourself. _ ”

He rolled his eyes. “Okay.  _ Fine. _ You may brush my hair, style it, teach me how to do it myself,  _ if… _ ”

He paused for a moment and she lifted an eyebrow at him.

“What is it? I’m not taking your exams for you.”

“Don’t be an idiot,” he tutted. “Just come home with me for the holidays. Mom has been on my back for the better part of this year about never bringing any friends home. Especially ones of the female persuasion.”

Acxa’s nose crinkled. “Are you kidding me? Your mother is a helicopter parent with questionable morals. I changed my mind. I'll bribe Zethrid to hold you down and we'll just shave your head after all."

Lotor scoffed and took another drag. “You wouldn’t need to bribe her. She would help just for the hell of it.”

“I would help,” Narti offered.

Acxa grinned, reaching over to pat her on the shoulder. “I am taking it under consideration.”

Lotor looked between them. “Oh, please tell me that you are  _ not _ actually considering this.”

Acxa tapped the bridge of her nose and said ominously, “I must not tell lies.”

Lotor protested again but a little yank on his hair quieted him down. In mere moments, the group was all settled in again, taking in the breeze and the air that they shared.

Acxa combed her fingers through Lotor’s hair; taking liberties as the man muttered tiredly, just on the edge of dozing off. Satisfaction from a battle won, pulled a smile across her face.

Tomorrow, the new battle for his hair would begin, but for tonight, the victory was hers.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this! It was for @shiningprincelotor on tumblr.  
> @PennyCandy beta read this for me and I am _so_ thankful  <3 <3
> 
> Please drop me a comment, gimme kudos and all that good stuff.  
> I'm on tumblr @goddammitlance


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